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Telangana: Police lathi-charge, arrest Hindu devotees taking part in a religious procession after a miscreant entered the rally with a sword and threatened others

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Police lathi-charge, arrest Hindu devotees taking part in a religious procession after a miscreant entered the rally with a sword and threatened others

Tension prevailed in the Karimnagar district of Telangana on Saturday (25th May) after an altercation transpired during a religious procession carried out by Hindu devotees. As per reports, devotees of Lord Hanuman were carrying out the religious procession when an intoxicated man appeared out of nowhere and started threatening them. The instance occurred near the Hanuman Temple in Prashant Nagar. When the Hindus protested against the matter, they were apprehended by the police for supposed ‘obstruction.’

As per the Three Town police, the incident happened at the Mancherial crossroads when a dispute erupted after a man from another community objected to the rally. He was arrested by the Mancherial police, who then brought him to the police station. However, as the police were taking him to the station in a patrol car, a devotee grabbed hold of the vehicle but the driver continued to speed forward as he suspected an attack. Afterwards, came to a stop a short distance ahead and in order to stop anyone from pursuing the police vehicle, a sub-inspector from the Karimnagar police department stepped down as hundreds of people swarmed him and then reached the police station to demonstrate against police action.

The occurrence prompted a swift reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party as Karimnagar Lok Sabha MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar “strongly condemned the high-handed behaviour of Telangana police” and demanded unconditional as well as immediate release of the Hanuman Deeksha Swamis. He also condemned the state authorities and charged, “Your job is to maintain law and order, not create issues. We will cooperate with you.” He also tagged the Director General of Telangana police and accused, “Instead of protecting Law and order, Karimnagar police are doing lathi-charge on people. Please find out facts and take action against erring officials.”

The cops reportedly reached the spot to prevent any escalation but the devotees wanted them to hand over the person to them after which the latter were subjected to lathi-charge and arrested when they allegedly marched to the streets and tried to block the way. Meanwhile, the intruder in the Shobhayatra was identified as Jayadev, a supporter of the BJP leader Basa Satyanarayana and a party worker. However, party leader Praveen Rao refuted the charges and asserted that the procession had nothing to do with the BJP. He mentioned that police should find out the real identity of the accused because he was not a BJP worker. He further informed that party members went to the police station and launched an agitation in an effort to secure the release of the devotees and implored the cops to examine the CCTV footage to uncover the truth.

Ghar Wapsi: Hindu couple, forcibly converted to Islam by Mohammed Amil Sheikh in UP, returns to the Dharmic fold after 20 years

OpIndia Staff
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Ghar Wapsi: Hindu couple, forcibly converted to Islam by Mohammed Amil Sheikh in UP, returns to the Dharmic fold after 20 years

Twenty years after a helpless Hindu couple was deceitfully converted to Islam in the Poore Ujade village in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, they have finally returned to the Hindu fold, reported Swarajya.

The victims, identified as Shiv Prasad Lodhi and Kavita, were coerced into changing their religion by village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for providing government identity documents.

Sheikh told the Hindu couple that it was the only way for them to survive in an “all-Muslim village.” Shiv and Kavita, who hailed from the Varanasi district, had come to Poore Ujade village in search of employment.

Documents prepared by Mohammed Amil Sheikh for the Hindu couple, image via Swati Goel Sharma/ Swarajya

However, they had no identity documents – a weakness which helped the village pradhan to exploit them into converting to Islam. After being converted to their new Faith, Shiv and Kavita were readily provided with ration cards and voter IDs.

Shiv was rechristened as ‘Abdulla’ while Kavita was named ‘Fathima.’ The village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh even fabricated the names of their parents.

The prelude to the conversion

According to the Swarajya report, the Hindu couple had to sell their ancestral property in Dulahipur village in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh due to tragic circumstances.

On the advice of their Muslim neighbour, they migrated to the Poore Ujadevillage in Fatehpur district. Kavita was pregnant at that time. However, she soon suffered a miscarriage. Kavita had previously lost her first child in infancy.

The Muslim women in her neighbourhood began telling her that worshipping Hindu deities would bring ‘no fortune.’ They brainwashed her into praying at a local dargah.

Around that time, Kavita began working at the residence of the village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh. She was told to wear salwar suit and give up her saree, bindi and indoors and live like other Muslim women in the village.

Two years later, her husband Shiv Prasad Lodhi purchased a plot outside the Poore Ujade village from Mohammed Amil Sheikh. After he had paid ₹40000 as part of the deal, Shiv realised that he needed government documents to register the land in his name.

When he sought help from the village pradhan, Mohammed Amil Sheikh told him to convert to Islam. A ceremony was held at a local masjid where Shiv and Kavita were made to recite the ‘Kalma‘ (Islamic oath of allegiance).

Harassment by Muslim neighbours continued for 2 decades

Shiv and Kavita, who had by then become ‘Abdullah’ and ‘Fathima’, received their documents after a month. But the deceitful conversion to Islam did not stop the harassment by their Muslim neighbours.

They were forced to adopt the ‘Islamic way of life’. Shiv was coerced into offering Namaz at the mosque. Kavita was told to keep Roza during Ramzan but not fast during Navaratri.

The couple were not allowed to celebrate Hindu festivities. Shiv was also forced to undergo circumcision (khatna) by Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for registering the property in his name.

Fearing that he would have to circumcise, the Hindu man reportedly stopped asking for registration papers. The house where Shiv and Kavita live today is still registered in the name of Mohammed Amil Sheikh.

Shiv faced social boycott from Muslim villagers for not getting circumcised. He could not find work in the village. Forced by circumstances, he began travelling to Mumbai for seasonal work.

During that time, Kavita would stay back in the Poore Ujade village and face constant harassment from the villagers. She therefore lives in isolation and does not have any friends.

Return to the Hindu fold

In 2023, Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita learnt about a local Hindu organisation named ‘Ram Bal.’ They visited the members of the outfit, who reside 2 km away from the village.

‘Ram Bal’ quickly notified the police and organised a havan in the village. They sent out a clear message that the Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita will no longer have to live as ‘Muslims.’

While speaking to Swarajya, ‘Ram Bal’ chief Agendra Sahu, informed that Shiv Prasad had expressed the desire to return to the Hindu fold.

Ghar wapsi of Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita, image via Swarajya

In February this year, Shiv and Kavita renounced Islam and returned to the Dharmic path through the ritual of ‘Ghar wapsi.’ They conducted a havan outside their house in the presence of Hindus belonging to ‘Ram Bal.’

The ghar wapsi ritual was undertaken amid tight police security. While speaking about the matter, Kavita said, “We were tricked into conversion. We would have liked Amil (Sheikh) to witness the ritual but he passed away a few years ago.”

The Wire changes their voter turnout report after fake news was caught, comes up with hilarious update claiming 11 crore is less than 9 crore

Anurag
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The Wire changes their voter turnout report after fake news was caught, comes up with hilarious update claiming 11 crore is less than 9 crore

On 26th May, OpIndia exposed how The Wire used misleading data to claim that there was a dip of 19.4 crore voters in the first five phases of polling in Lok Sabha Elections 2024 compared to the 2019 polls. The Wire used the number of total registered voters for the constituencies that went to poll in the first 5 phases in 2019 Lok Sabha elections with actual voter turnout for the first 5 phases in the ongoing general elections. As a result, Wire claimed 70 crore votes were polled in the first 5 phases in 2019, and compared to 50.7 crore votes polled in the first 5 phases of the 2024 elections. But the fact is, actually 48.5 crore voters voted in the first 5 phases in last elections. Wire compared total voters in 2019 with actual votes in 2024 to arrive at the wrong conclusion that voter turnout has gone down to a massive extent.

Following the lie was exposed, The Wire quickly changed the article and claimed there was a dip of 1.8 crore voters in the first phase of the General Elections. The entire article has been changed, including the URL, with a note added below that it used total eligible voters for 2019 to arrive at the wrong conclusion. It now compares only the 1st phase of the elections, when voting for 6 phases has already been concluded, and claims that there is a dip in voter turnout for phase 1, which is also a completely wrong conclusion.

Note added below the report

In many instances, Mathematics and Journalism don’t mix well. Especially when The Wire is involved, it’s wise not to attribute errors to stupidity when they can be adequately explained by malice. This could very well be a deliberate mathematical error intended to spread misinformation about ’20 crore fewer votes.’ The goal might be to prime people to believe that when the ECI publishes the final data, showing a similar or higher voter turnout in 2024 compared to 2019, the conclusion will be that “20 crore fake votes were added by the ECI.” This narrative seems to be gaining traction now that the ‘EVM hacked’ story isn’t resonating.

Source: The Wire.

Now coming to the numbers, the Wire made a basic arithmatical error. Here is how they calculated the dip. In the first phase of the 2019 elections, 9,13,79,409 votes were cast. Compared to that, in the 2024 elections, 11,00,52,103 votes were polled. This clearly shows that the number of votes polled in phase 1 has increased, but Wire claims the number has gone down.

The Wire report now says, “This implies a dip of 1.86 (1,86,72,694) votes.” Yes, they said 1.86 votes with 1,86,72,694 in parentheses.

Only Wire can tell how the number 9 crore can go down to become 11 crore.

It seems they simply deducted the numbers of 2024 from the numbers of 2019 resulting in -1,86,72,694. As the number was in negative, the author of the article apparently assumed there was a “dip”. In reality, it was the rise of 1.86 crore voters in the first phase. Probably the author was not paying attention when basic subtraction was taught in primary school.

As The Wire may again pull down the article, here is the screenshot of the same.

Source: The Wire

It is notable that in phase 1 of the 2019 polls, there were 91 seats, while 102 seats were included in the first phase of the current elections. Therefore, even though the number of votes have gone up, it may not indicate an increase in voter turnout.

In any case, comparing phase-wise voter turnout in different general elections is a completely meaningless exercise. This is because the same constituencies do not go for polling in the same phases every election. For elections, elections for all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh took place in the first phase in 2019, but during the current elections, the votes in the 25 seats took place in the 4th phase. All constituencies in Tamil Nadu voted in 1st phase in current polls, but voting took place in the same constituencies in the 2nd phase last time. This means, not only the number of seats, but the composition of seats are also completely different in each phase in different elections. Moreover, even the number of phases is also different if other general elections are also included.

If The Wire wanted to compare the data, they should have done what OpIndia did. Download data from the ECI website and compare the polling data of all constituencies of the first phase of the 2024 Elections to the constituencies irrespective of the phase in which polling took place in 2019. Otherwise, the comparison is irrelevant the same constituencies are different. Even this comparison will not be accurate for seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, where delimitation took place recently, and constituency boundaries have changed.

In 2019, if we compare the constituencies and not phases, there were 15,75,36,275 eligible voters out of which 11,00,90,908 cast their vote. In 2024, there were 16,63,86,344 eligible voters and 11,00,52,103 cast their votes. While there were 88,50,069 more voters in Phase 1,38,805 fewer voters turned up to vote. But there is a catch. In 2019, voting in Outer Manipur was done in a single phase but in 2024, it was done in two phases.

Data can be confirmed from ECI’s press release. If we combine the numbers from both passes for Outer Manipur, the numbers will change. In the first phase, 5,53,078 eligible voters were there in Outer Manipur out of which 3,80,688 cast votes. In the second phase, there were 4,84,949 out of which 4,12,737 cast their vote. If we combine these numbers, there were 10,38,027 eligible voters out of which 7,93,425 cast their vote. If we recalculate, considering if Outer Manipur polling was done in a single phase, the total eligible voters would be 16,68,71,293 out of which 11,04,64,840 cast their vote. If we subtract the total number of votes cast in 2024 from 2019, it comes to a rise of 4,12,737 votes.

However, when The Wire can’t properly subtract a number from another, expecting them to conduct such a deep analysis will be too much.

In any case, The Wire failed to give the real picture of the voter turnout in Phase 1. OpIndia’s analysis of the data can be checked in case we consider Outer Manipur from Phase here and if we consider Outer Manipur from both phases here.

Karnataka: Islamist mob vandalises Police Station, sets vehicles on fire over alleged custodial death in Davanagere, 2 cops suspended

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Islamist mob vandalises Police Station, sets vehicles on fire over alleged custodial death in Davanagere, 2 cops suspended

An Islamist mob vandalised a Police station in Channagiri town in Karnataka’s Davanagere district and torched several Police vehicles. At least 11 police personnel sustained injuries and around eight police vehicles were also destroyed. The mob went on a rampage alleging the custodial death of a gambling accused named Adil (30) in the early hours of Saturday (25th May). 

Notably, Police detained the 30-year-old carpenter, Adil on Friday (24th May) for his alleged involvement in gambling activities in the district. The police said that his condition deteriorated and he died on 24th May.

Following the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the Deputy Superintendent of Police and the Channagiri police station inspector have been suspended. He, however, added that it was not a custodial death.

According to the Police, Adil was detained for playing matka which is a form of betting and lottery popular in North Karnataka. Within six to seven minutes after he was brought to the Police station, he reportedly fell ill. 

Davangere SP Uma Prashanth said, “We detained Adil under suspicion of involvement in matka gambling, but he collapsed within 6-7 minutes of his arrival at the station. He was rushed to the hospital.”

Adil was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Prashanth said, “His parents are also aware of it and they have been convinced.” 

According to the SP, Adil was taken to the hospital, where after examination the doctors said that his death was due to low blood pressure. According to the police, no injury marks were found on the body of the deceased.

However, after the news of Adil’s death spread, his relatives, along with a large number of protesters, gathered at the police station and resorted to vandalism. The mob resorted to violence and vandalised police station. When the police tried to stop the miscreants by using mild force, the protesters started pelting stones at the police station and set Police vehicles on fire alleging that Adil died in Police custody. 

Eventually, when additional police force arrived at the spot, the police resorted to lathi charges to disperse the violent mob. 

SP Uma Prashanth said that the body had been shifted to the government hospital and it will be handed over to the family members after postmortem. 

The SP added that police are patrolling the area and additional forces have been deployed in Channagiri. Action will be taken based on the postmortem report. The autopsy will be conducted in the presence of a Magistrate, she added.

CM says the gambling accused had a history of epileptic seizures

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the accused man has a history of epileptic seizures. He said, “The accused used to get fits. That’s why I said that summoning him to the police station was wrong. The Deputy SP and police inspector have been suspended because without FIR no one can be brought to the police station.” 

According to the Chief Minister, the accused should have been sent back after inquiry and he should not have been detained at the police station. 

However, the Chief Minister clarified that the Police officers were not suspended for the custodial death, but for keeping Adil at the station without filing an FIR, which is illegal. “Police are at fault, but it is not a lockup death. I have enquired it,” the CM added.

Additionally, Home Minister G Parameshwara said Adil died due to health issues. 

Meanwhile, the principal opposition party, BJP, slammed the Congress govt for neglecting the law and order situation in the state and demanded the resignation of the state Home Minister.  

Following the incident, a total of 3 FIRs have been registered. The Police have filed one FIR against the Police personnel which is based on the complaint filed by the father of the deceased gambling accused, Adil. Additionally, FIR has also been registered against the attackers involved in the mob violence. The accused are being identified from video footage and other evidence.

Record voter turnout in Kashmir valley shows massive improvement in the situation after the abrogation of Article 370, PM Modi calls it a great trend

Rukma Rathore
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Record voter turnout in Kashmir valley shows massive improvement in the situation after the abrogation of Article 370, PM Modi calls it a great trend

The revocation of Article 370 in 2019 brought about a radical transformation for the union territory which has been making the headlines for all the right reasons lately. Now, as India is undergoing a massive electoral process in the form of the Lok Sabha election, Kashmir has once again grabbed the attention of the nation with its highest voter turnout in decades as it joined in the greatest celebration of democracy. As per the latest data issued by the election commission, the voting percentage in the valley has seen a major spike since the last general election indicating the fervor with which people engaged in the most powerful form of self-expression and demonstrated their belief in the Indian democracy.

Jammu and Kashmir has five parliamentary seats including Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu. The polling was conducted in five phases from 19th April to 25th May. Notably, while Udhampur and Jammu witnessed a minor dip in the voting percentage, the other three constituencies performed exceedingly well with their unprecedented participation in the general election. Udhampur recorded 68.27% in 2024 as compared to 70.15% in 2019, Jammu stood at 72.22% in 2024 while it had 72.5% in 2019.

However, the other three seats surprised everyone as Srinagar experienced 38.49% voting in 2024 which was remarkably higher than 14.43% in 2019, Baramulla recorded an impressive 59.10% in 2024, up from 34.6% in 2019 and Anantnag-Rajouri rose to 54.46% after only 8.9% people voted in Anantnag in the last general election.

Voting numbers are better in Jammu but a very positive development is that it is about twice as high as it was in 2019 in Kashmir. Notably, Baramulla surpassed its 1996 record of 46.65%. Along with a large number of women, relatives of terrorists and members of the outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) cadres showed up to cast their votes, presenting a stunning image of the beneficial shift in the once violence-infested valley. Likewise, Srinagar achieved its highest voter turnout in twenty-six years.

The situation at the Baramulla district’s Sopore was quite distinct from previous years when a small group of voters would cautiously approach vacant polling places. The biggest turnout in three decades was noted in Sopore from 4.3 % in 2019 to 44.2% this year. It is important to remember that the place is the hometown of prominent separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and a stronghold of the JeI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the people of Baramulla for their commitment to democracy.

Additionally, the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat observed the largest percentage of voters in forty years who came out to exercise their right to cast a ballot, shattering previous records. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir, Pandurang Kundbarao Pole, told reporters in Srinagar that 53% of voters cast ballots in Anantnag-Rajouri and 58% of voters exercised their franchise for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. He added, “It is the highest turnout for these five seats in the last 40 years. The previous high was 49% recorded in 2014, while the turnout in 1996 was 47.99%.”

According to him, the Surankote, Rajouri, and Budhal Assembly segments had the highest turnout at 68% and with 32%, the Kulgam Assembly segment scored the lowest results. He pointed out that there had been no reports of violence throughout the polling, which was largely peaceful. Elections in the Lok Sabha constituency, which consists of 18 Assembly segments dispersed among the five districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Poonch, and Rajouri, went off without a hitch, according to officials, with the exception of a minor incident in Bijbehara.

Pulwama district and the Shopian Assembly sector were taken away from the south Kashmir Lok Sabha seat during a delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, while seven Assembly segments from Poonch and Rajouri were added. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir, in the Anantnag-Rajouri polling too, have reposed faith in democracy and proved naysayers wrong,” the Election Commission highlighted in a statement.

Furthermore, the Election Commission made it possible for Kashmiri migrant voters living in several relief camps in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur to cast ballots by mail or in person at designated polling places. There were four special polling places in Delhi, one in Udhampur, and twenty-one in Jammu.

The tremendous success of the general election has confirmed the dynamic shift in the mindset of the populace post-219. This was the first major election in the Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 and it served as a testament to showcase the thriving positive evolution that has seeped into the valley after the special status was gone. Voters went out in force from towns and villages that had been denied voting rights for a long time because of demands for a boycott spearheaded by separatists and fears of terrorism. Interestingly, these voting numbers came amid claims of low voter turnout in other parts of India.

The fact that no separatist organization had called for a protest against the election was a first in the previous thirty years, which also contributed to the increase in votes. The separatists, who once claimed to be the self-appointed leaders of the valley as they were in co-hoots with the anti-India elements, have been rendered toothless due to the policies of the Modi government. Kashmir has ushered into a new dawn of progress and advancement which was not even fathomable before the end of Article 370 as it was used as an instrument to create divisions and alienate it from the rest of India. Now, as no such barrier exists, Kashmir is able to exercise and experience complete democratisation.

Simple Maths again stumps alleged ‘journalists’: Read hilarious truth about alleged claim of ‘The Wire’ that 19 crore less voters cast their votes in 2024

Anurag
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Simple Maths again stumps alleged ‘journalists’: Read hilarious truth about alleged claim of ‘The Wire’ that 19 crore less voters cast their votes in 2024

On Saturday, 25th May, leftist propaganda website ‘The Wire’ published a report with dubious voter turnout data for 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the report, they are claiming that 19.4 crore fewer voters cast their votes in the first five phases of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 compared to the 2019 General Elections. According to The Wire, 70.1 crore votes were polled in 2019 across 426 seats, while in 2024 only 50.7 crore votes were polled.

Interestingly, just over 61 crore votes were polled in total in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but leftist propaganda website ‘The Wire’ concluded that over 70 crore votes were polled in the seats that went for elections in first 5 phases in 2024, implying there was negative turnout in remaining seats. How negative turnout is possible, only the great scientists at ‘The Wire’ can explain to us..

To support their claim, The Wire used five press releases by the Election Commission of India from 2019 and the latest absolute number of data released by the agency. However, they made a big blunder in calculating the numbers as they used total electorate of 2019 and not total votes. Archived links of The Wire’s report can be seen here and here.

The Press Releases linked by The Wire for phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, phase 4 and phase 5 can be accessed here. The latest data released by EC can be checked here. The press release of the first phase used by The Wire is from 10th April while Polling date was 11th April. Similarly, phase 2 press release was from 16th April and the polling date was 18th April. The press release for phase 3 was from 22nd April and the polling date was 23rd April. Press release for phase 4 was from 26th April and the polling date was 29th April. The press release for the fifth phase was from 3rd May and the polling date was 6th May. Polling schedule for 2019 Elections can be seen here.

Source: Election Commission of India

Notably, in the header of all five press releases, the date of press release and date of polling were clearly mentioned.

Source: PIB

Now if we check the press releases from 2019, they were released before the polling dates, and not after. These press releases only had the number of total electorates from the said constituencies and not the votes polled in those phases.

OpIndia analysed all 427 constituencies and compared the data from the actual Election Commission data that can be checked here.

As per the data, there were 71,14,40,983 total voters in 2019 in the constituencies that went to poll in the first five phases of 2024, out of which 48,47,07,015 exercised their right to vote. That means 68.13% voting. In 2024, there were 76,40,80,337 registered voters out of which 50,72,97,288 voters exercised their right to vote. That makes 66.39% voting. It is evident that though the voting percentage reduced by 1.74%, the total number of voters who cast votes increased by 2,25,90,273 (2 crore, 25 lakh, 90 thousand and 273). Please note that we compared the voter turnout data of constituencies where the polling has been done and not the constituencies that were in the first five phases of 2019. Furthermore, the names of constituencies of Assam are different from 2019 due to delimitation exercise that took place in 2023.

OpIndia’s data analysis of that can be checked here.

Ties with ruling TMC, involvement in arms and gold smuggling: Meet Anwarul Azim Anar, the Bangladeshi MP slain in Kolkata

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
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Ties with ruling TMC, involvement in arms and gold smuggling: Meet Anwarul Azim Anar, the Bangladeshi MP slain in Kolkata

Anwarul Azim Anar, a three-time MP of the ruling Awami League who reportedly visited West Bengal in India for “medical treatment” was lured to a rented flat in New Town area of Kolkata by using a woman named Shilasti Rahman as bait where he was grisly murdered.

According to media reports, the West Bengal CID investigators have arrested the butcher involved in the killing, a Bangladeshi citizen, from Bangoan in North 24 Parganas district. The butcher was staying at the New Town flat for two and a half months before Anar’s killing. “He planned to run away either to Mumbai or to Bangladesh which he could not but his accomplices did”, said police.

It may be mentioned here that Anar was an MP from the Jhenaidah-4 constituency. This bordering area with India is known for its high crime rate. According to the latest report, Shilasti Rahman was staying in the flat number 56 of BU block of Sanjiba Garden, an elite residence in Newtown, Kolkata, where MP Anar was killed.

Details of the murder case

A senior official of the DB police said Shilasti Rahman is the girlfriend of MP Anar murder mastermind Akteruzzaman Shahin. Along with Amanullah Aman and MP Anar, she entered the Kolkata flat on May 13. Shahin used Shulasti as a ‘honey trap’ to take MP Anar from Dhaka to Kolkata.

After making all the plans, Shahin returned to Dhaka on May 15 leaving Shilasti in a Kolkata flat. She returned to Bangladesh on May 15.It is unknown how the owner of the posh apartment rented it to foreign nationals and if such practices, although illegal – are common in West Bengal and its capital Kolkata.

They were staying at a hotel in the New Market area in Kolkata for at least four days before the killing. Sharing details of the murder, investigators told The Indian Express newspaper – Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman Shahin, a friend and business partner of Azim, is suspected to be the mastermind of the murder.

Arrest of the accused

Akhtaruzzaman, a US citizen of Bangladesh origin, had taken the New Town flat on rent and hired the woman, identified as Silasti Rehman, the butcher and two others to carry out the murder. He is believed to have fled India after the Azim’s killing in the flat on May 13, a day after the MP arrived in India for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the News18 channel reported that a suspect named Jihad Hawladar, a resident of Khulna district in Bangladesh who had illegally entered India and was staying in Mumbai, had been arrested.

On May 18, Gopal Biswas, the family friend of the MP in Kolkata’s Bidhannagar filed a missing complaint. It is a mystery as to why Gopal Biswas took five full days to file a missing report at the Baranagar police station although Anar left his home on May 13. Biswas’s home is in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.

Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi, CID Inspector General was quoted as saying by ANI: “We had no prior intimation of the Bangladeshi MP’s arrival to this city. We came to know about him after his acquaintance in Kolkata, Gopal Biswas, filed a missing diary [report] on May 18”.

Does it raise a question if the administration in West Bengal, under chief minister Mamata Banerjee of Trinamool Congress wanted to suppress this serious case where the lawmaker from a neighboring country went suspiciously missing for days? Or does it even raise questions about the connections between Anwarul Azim and Gopal Biswas? Was it purely friendship between the two or Biswas was connected to Azim’s activities such as gold smuggling and money-laundering?

Involvement of Anwarul Azim Anar in drug trade, gold and arms smuggling

According to an exclusive report published in the Dhaka Tribune, local sources allege that Anar once controlled extremist groups in southern and western Bangladesh. 

He was listed in police records for involvement in arms and explosives smuggling. Despite this, he evaded law enforcement and became known as a godfather of terrorists and extremists.

Anar faced over nine cases for various charges, including arms, explosives, narcotics smuggling, extortion, and harbouring extremists. 

In 2008, Interpol had issued a notice against him in connection with several criminal cases, including arms and explosives, as there were several pending cases in Jhenaidah and Chuadanga.

Activists in Jhenaidah said that Anar allegedly entered the drug trade around 1986, during the rule of military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s pro-Islamist Jatiya Party’s rule. 

They claimed he smuggled goods through the Bagda border of India to the Baghadanga border of Bangladesh. During this period, his forces made monthly contracts, or “tokens”, with various police stations. These tokens allowed drug-carrying vehicles to pass unchallenged, earning him the title of the “Drug King” of the Southwest.

Anar amassed significant wealth through the drug trade. In 1991, he allegedly began smuggling gold with Paritosh Tagore, a fellow smuggler from Jhenaidah. They transported large gold consignments through the Baghadanga border.

Later, he expanded his operations to include arms smuggling, partnering with a Kaliganj municipality commissioner. 

His illegal arms were sold to various extremist and jihadist groups in Bangladesh. Even after going into hiding in India, Anar continued arms smuggling with government-recognized top terrorist Prakash Kumar Biswas, who has been living in West Bengal since 2013.

Political affiliations with TMC

In 1996, Anar joined the Awami League from the ultra-Islamist and Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

It may be mentioned here that, under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, while West Bengal is already known as a safe haven of gangsters, terrorists, scammers, killers, smugglers, money-launderers and corrupts, Kolkata in particular has become the capital of such notoriety.

Commenting on Anwarul Azim Anar’s connections in West Bengal, a highly-placed source seeking anonymity said, for years Anar has been maintaining healthy relations with several female leaders of Trinamool Congress, some of whom are actresses from Kolkata film industry.

Kolkata film industry’s former actress Moon Moon Sen is connected to notorious terrorist Dawood Ibrahim through one of his key accomplices named Aziz Mohammad Bhai, who also is on run for years and recently a court in Dhaka has pronounced life-term imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of a Bangladeshi film actor named Salman Shah.

It also said, several influential leaders of TMC were having business relations with Anar, while a large portion of cash from the infamous SSC scam was sent to him for investing in businesses. Anar was connected to Partha Chatterjee through his nephew Prasanna Kumar Roy’s friend Shipan Kumer Basu.

Basu, wanted by Bangladesh Police, has been living in West Bengal for almost two decades. During his early life, Shipan Kumer Basu was an active member of ‘Purbo Bangla Communist Party’, an extremist Marxist-Naxalite group in Bangladesh.

During those years, Shipan Kumer Basu has taken part in numerous forms of criminal activities including robbery, rape, extortion and murder. Later, Basu became a member of Anwarul Azim Anar’s transborder smuggling racket.

According to media reports, there are several organized rackets active in West Bengal which help fugitives and criminals from Bangladesh and other countries, including Rohingyas from Myanmar in obtaining Adhar Card as well as Indian passports. Later, these criminals, mostly wanted by law enforcement agencies, leave India for Dubai or other Western countries using Indian passports.

Political war of words

Ruling BJP has accused the state government of hiding a “can of worms” and taken this opportunity to criticize a high-profile opposition figure, West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“This isn’t the first such brutal killing in West Bengal. Investigation into the murder will open a can of worms, involving powerful people in the WB [West Bengal] Govt”, Amit Malviya, a senior BJP leader wrote on X, without giving further details.

Amit Malviya, In-charge of BJP’s National Information & Technology Department wrote in his post on ‘X’:

“Welcome to Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal! There is no such thing as Law & Order in the State. Anwarul Azim Anar, a Member of Parliament from Bangladesh, was found dead in Kolkata. But what is shocking is the details of the murder. After killing Anar, the group skinned the body, removed the flesh, and minced it to prevent identification. They then packed the remains into plastic bags and cut the bones into small pieces. The police suspect that after killing Anar, the murderers mutilated the body, segregated the flesh from the bones and mixed those with turmeric powder to delay decomposition. The remains were then carefully placed into plastic bags for transportation.In an attempt to conceal any evidence of the heinous act, the washroom was thoroughly cleaned using acid before the apartment was vacated. This isn’t the first such brutal killing in West Bengal. Investigation into the murder will open a can of worms, involving powerful people in the WB Govt.

Delhi: Six newborns killed in fire accident at hospital in Vivek Vihar

ANI
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Delhi: Six newborns killed in fire accident at hospital in Vivek Vihar

As many as six newborns have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a New Born Baby Care Hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in the late hours of Saturday.

According to the Delhi Fire Department, a total of 12 children were rescued, out of which six have died, one is on the ventilator and five are admitted to the hospital.

The rescued newborns have been shifted to East Delhi Advance NICU hospital. On information, police officials and firefighters reached the spot and doused the fire.

Fire Officer Rajesh, said, “At 11:32 pm, Fire Service Control Room received information that fire broke out at a hospital…total 16 fire tenders reached the spot and fire has been extinguished completely. 2 buildings were affected by the fire, one is the hospital building and 2 floors of a residential building on the right side also caught fire…11-12 people were rescued and they were taken to hospital. Further details will be shared later”.

The incident comes on a day when 27 persons were killed in Gujarat’s Rajkot city when a massive fire swept through a game zone.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Rajkot: At least 20, including children, killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone, rescue ops underway

OpIndia Staff
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Rajkot: At least 20, including children, killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone, rescue ops underway

At least 20 people, including 10 children, lost their lives in a massive fire that erupted at a gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, on the evening of May 25, officials reported. Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava confirmed that 20 bodies have been recovered from the TRP Gaming Zone fire.

Efforts are ongoing to control the blaze and rescue those trapped inside.

Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava, as quoted by news agency ANI, stated, “A fire broke out in the TRP gaming zone in the afternoon. Rescue operations are ongoing, the fire is under control, and we are working to recover as many bodies as possible.”

Bhargava added, “So far, around 20 bodies have been recovered and sent to the hospital for further investigation. We will conduct investigations. Yuvraj Singh Solanki owns the gaming zone. We will file charges for negligence and the resulting deaths. Further investigation will commence once the rescue operations are completed.”

PM Modi took to X to express condolences to the bereaved families. “Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured. The local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected,” PM Modi tweeted.

The fire broke out in a temporary structure at the TRP Game Zone. Many of the victims were children, who were there in large numbers because of the ongoing summer vacation.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tweeted that the city administration has been directed to conduct immediate rescue and relief operations at the game zone.

“Instructions have been given to the Municipal Corporation and the administration for immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident in the game zone in Rajkot. It has been instructed to prioritise arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured,” Mr Patel tweeted.

Maharashtra: Kuldip Pawar left with 50 stitches on face as history-sheeter Harun Shaikh attacks him over old dispute, posts videos on social media after arrest

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Kuldip Pawar left with 50 stitches on face as history-sheeter Harun Shaikh attacks him over old dispute, posts videos on social media after arrest

A history-sheeter named Harun Shaikh was held for the brutal assault on 28-year-old Kuldip Pawar in Thane, Maharashtra. The shocking incident reportedly transpired on 21st May at around 12:30 am at a bar and restaurant in Manpada which falls under the jurisdiction of Chitalsar-Manpada police station. The accused, who is from the Hajuri area in Wagle Estate, was apprehended by the authorities, however, according to reports, he continued to share videos on his social media despite being in police custody.

Harun Shaikh carried on displaying his power even after being arrested by the police. His brazen statements on social media, including “The boss is coming soon,” compounded Kuldip and his friends’ misery whenever he posted updates. He is an infamous criminal with a long history of robberies, deceit and violations of the Arms Act.

Hotel management student Kuldip Pawar from the Kalher village in Bhiwandi was having a great time with friends at Cafe BunTea in Unique Vistas when the culprit who was obviously drunk arrived there and the events took a horrifying turn. Eyewitnesses unveiled that he started by threatening and frightening the young men in order to establish his authority over the premises. Then, without warning, he began to verbally abuse the victim and retaliated by hitting him with a bottle when he challenged his actions. He severely injured the latter’s face with the broken bottle when a friend attempted to step in.

Kuldip was taken to a nearby hospital immediately where he required 50 stitches to treat the lacerations on his face. His extensive face wounds from the incident served as a stark reminder of the vicious assault. The injured and the accused were longtime acquaintances who worked together in event management, according to the police. They parted ways after a dispute after which they did not speak to one another for some days. Kuldip went to a bar with his pals the day of the incident and they were drinking beer when Shaikh and his friend came there to enjoy some beer.

Shaikh was invited by a mutual friend to join them when a serious argument erupted between the former and Kuldip about their previous disagreement when the perpetrator lost his temper and assaulted his face. He dropped to the floor as he profusely bleed from his wounds. People at the place caught him and notified the police. Afterwards, he was taken to a private hospital in Thane for treatment where is admitted currently.

“We rushed to the spot after receiving information about the attack in the bar. The accused managed to escape after attempting murder. The people who were in the bar held him and handed him over to the police. We have arrested Shaikh under the charge of attempt to murder and taken him to the police station. A case was filed against him under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code,” stated Girish Gode, Senior Police Inspector at Chitalsar Manpada police station.

He added “Shaikh has been produced in Thane court and sent to judicial custody. We conducted a panchnama at the spot and discovered a weapon. We confiscated bloodstains and clothes from the spot to keep as evidence.”

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